We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

Actually, while most dogs do indeed leave porcupines alone after the first time, my vet was entertaining me (while pulling quills out of my puppy) with other stories.

Some dogs go out and seek vengeance on the next porcupine they meet (unsuccessfully) -- I had one of those once. My vet told me about one hound who made 13 attempts (so far) to revenge himself upon the entire species (getting a mouthful of quills each time).

Uncle Sam must rein in retirement benefits or we’re headed for economic disaster

Nothing like giving people a $1000 tax break, then cutting their mother's Medicare by multiple times that amount, all the while siphoning off billions more for billionaires.

QUOTE:

CBO projects that, over the next 30 years, the national debt will grow from $20 trillion to $92 trillion ($52 trillion after inflation)

Or about 150% of the projected annual GDP at that time. Accumulated U.S. GDP over the next 30 years will be about $786 trillion (assuming moderate 2% growth), so addressing the impending deficits is well within the means of the U.S. Some small changes to entitlements, along with some prudence on the revenue side, would be more than sufficient to address the problem. However, cutting long-term taxes now and allowing deficits to balloon during a mature economic expansion not only exacerbates the problem, but threatens to create market instabilities.

In my experience, canine intelligence (and commitment) varies a lot. I once had a Brittany get a porcupine quill in the eye, which I had to pull out with my fingers. The injuries to dogs from porcupines are often horrifying and sometimes fatal. Porcupines are perfectly welcome to eat bark out in the deeper wooded portions of my 300 acres, but if I ever see one anywhere near the house, he is going to get shot.

First take it out of the general budget and out of the hands of congress.

Then end benefits to those who did not earn them. Did you know that immigrants who never contributed to SS are signed up for benefits?

Change the payout to one that complies with standard accounting procedures. For example if you contribute $100,000 to the SS system over your work lifetime than your benefit will be about double that of someone who contributed $50,000.

Recognize that the federal government borrowed about $4 trillion or so from the SS trust fund and they need to begin paying that back as the system needs more funding.

Finally adjust the payments such that it cannot exceed the revenues. Use a system similar to Parimutuel betting where the payouts cannot exceed the income. If they did this the SS would never go broke and never go into a deficit.

The SS system is NOT the problem. Welfare IS the problem. End all welfare and replace it with workfare. Problem fixed.

GoneWithTheWind: First take it out of the general budget and out of the hands of congress.

Social Security has its own accounting and administration.

GoneWithTheWind: Did you know that immigrants who never contributed to SS are signed up for benefits?

Most non-citizens who do not pay into Social Security are not eligible for benefits. Exceptions include the blind, disabled, and refugees.

GoneWithTheWind: Change the payout to one that complies with standard accounting procedures. For example if you contribute $100,000 to the SS system over your work lifetime than your benefit will be about double that of someone who contributed $50,000.

While not a one-for-one system, those who pay in more do receive more in monthly benefits.

GoneWithTheWind: Recognize that the federal government borrowed about $4 trillion or so from the SS trust fund and they need to begin paying that back as the system needs more funding.

The federal treasury is already scheduled to have paid back the entire Social Security Trust Fund by 2034 (apparently by borrowing the money elsewhere).

GoneWithTheWind: Finally adjust the payments such that it cannot exceed the revenues.

That's the current system. In 2034, when the Trust Fund is depleted, Social Security will pay about 79% of benefits (unless changes are made to the program).

GoneWithTheWind: Welfare IS the problem. End all welfare and replace it with workfare. Problem fixed.

The numbers are considerable. Traditional welfare costs about $400 billion per year. If you include Medicaid, the costs are about $750 billion per year. However, most able-bodied welfare and Medicaid recipients already work.

Clattering Site Robot(s): Infinite debt is good because GDP and we'll(s) noted that we'll(s) note that we(s) note that debt infinity and beyond is like QE infinity and beyond. And a partridge in a coal mine. [Bzzzzt!]

Real human: What, are yo-

Clattering Site Robot(s): Handwaving! We(s) called it, no tap backs. GDP indicates reality without any other correlation with reality. Velocity of red ink! See?

Real human:

Clattering Site Robot(s): TROLL!

Real human:

Clattering Site Robot(s):

Real human: You'd(s) think with all that programming the damn thing would have at least some notion of fallacy...

^ Watching Gone Windy and The Clattering Site Robot(s) trade utter BS is completely worth the price of admission. This may be a solution to both wastes of time: Have them engage just one another for eternity.

Rosenstein told us a LONG time ago...I think it was June 2017...that people shouldn't pay attention to 'leaks' with regards to Mueller investigation as you don't know where they are coming from.

Just because something is touted as a 'leak' by a very untrustworthy (and frequently wrong) press doesn't mean it's true. I choose to wait for indictments before I 'worry' about anyone in the Trump circle.

Remember when we were told months ago that the Veselnitskaya meeting in Trump Tower was going to put Don Jr. in jail? Where is he today? Living his life. Running his family's business. No indictment anywhere to be found.

Remember when we were told that Farage was a 'target' of Mueller's investigation? That disappeared within a matter of weeks.

Remember when we were told that Trump's finances with respect to Deutsche Bank were being investigated...? And then Reuter's had to print a correction?

I just don't pay attention to leaks anymore. More than likely they are fake news or distractions to make us THINK Trump's in trouble. Meanwhile, we just keep finding out more and more about the dossier, the connections to the Clintons, the sleaze and corruption within the DOJ/FBI itself...I don't see how this is 'bad' for Trump at all.

You are incorrect about how many immigrants get SS. Far more than the examples you cited. All of the DACA kids will bring in the parents and grandparents and if they are over 65 they will get SS. This is by intent, your government wants to crash SS.

“those who pay in more do receive more in monthly benefits”
You missed the point (shocked face). By paying out benefits in excess of standard accounting practices the system is going bankrupt. What did you think we were discussing here???

“welfare costs about… $750 billion per year.”
Actually about $1.2 trillion a year when you count all of welfare. But the system is intentionally opaque so that the real costs can be hidden from the public.

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